Pneumatic tire.



Patented Feb. 13, I900. A. A. WADE.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.

(Application filed Oct. 4, 1897.)

(No Model.)

QUIZ/2am;

c/ iz #6722227".

WCTt I ALBERT A. \VADE, OF MONTICELLO, MINNESOTA.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.-

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,429, dated February13, 1900.

Application filed October 4, 1897. $erial No. 654,079. (No model.)

to that class of tires which are known as selflocking single-tube tires,that are secured in place, not by cement, but by expansion or inflation,being thus forced into strong engagement with a suitably-formedwheel-rim.

The object of the invention is to provide a bicycle tire which, whendesired, may be opened fiat to admit of its being easily and quicklyrepaired and which, being placed on the wheel, will be made air-tight byinflation.

A particular object of the invention is to make use of the principle ofthe toggle-joint in compressing or forcing together the edges of thetire to prevent leakage of the air at the joint.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inflating device orinjector particularly adapted for employment with such tires.

Theinvention consists generallyin the combination of a grooved wheel-rimwith a beltlike tire having beads or ribs at its edges to enter thegrooves of said rim, and one edge of the tire being provided with atoggle-joint portion that being straightened by pressure forces the saidbeads into said grooves and s firmly presses together the edges of thetire that the escape of air is prevented.

The invention further consists in a thin flat nozzle or injector adaptedto be inserted between the meeting edges of the tire while the same isin place upon the rim, said injector being preferably largest at theouter end to prevent the expulsion thereof by the air-pressure fromwithin the tire or the leaking of air around the nozzle while the tireis being inflated; and the invention further consists in variousconstructions and in combinations of parts, all as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in Which-Figure 1 is a sectional view of a wheel rim and tire embodying myinvention and also shows a pump and the novel injector or noz zle. Fig.2 is a cross-section of the tire when flat, as it is before being placedon a wheel. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the tire and rim, the treadofthe tire being broken away to show the point or end of the nozzleprojecting into the tire. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of awheel-rim,the tire,and the injector or nozzle.

As shown in the drawings, 2 represents the tread portion of the tire. Atone edge of the tread portion is the rib or bead 3 and at the other edgeis the toggle-joint portion, made up of the parts 4 and 5, the part 4being preferably provided with a bead or rib 6. The parts 4 and 5 arejoined by the solid portion 7 in the upper parts thereof, but areotherwise separated by a groove or cut 8 in the under side. The treadproper may be strengthened or thickened in any manner, and I preferablyline the inside of the tire with thin soft sheet-rubber 9, which extendsfrom the rib 3 to the extreme edge of the toggle-joint portion. Theseparts make up the endless belt. When the tire is placed upon the Wheel,the edges are folded inward, with the inner surface of the rubberportion 3 pressed upon by the edge 11 of the part 5, thus making atubular tire. The rim of the wheel is provided with thestraight-bottomed recess and with the grooves 12 and 13 to receive theraised edges or beads 3 and 6 on the opposite edges of the tire. Theribbed edge 3 is first placed in its groove, and the toggle-jointportions 4 and 5 are then doubled into place, with the edge 11 of thetoggle-joint portion pressed against the ribbed part 3, and the bead orrib 6 is forced down into the rim and the groove 13 therein. Now as airis forced into the tire the Walls thereof will be expanded and thetoggle parts 4 and 5 will be pressed down, perhaps to the fiat bottom ofthe recess or groove in the rim, said parts 4 and 5 pivoting on theconnecting part 7. The parts 4 and 5 are made of substantially solidrubber or other material and are but slightly compressible. Therefore asthe same are depressed nearly to or quite into the same plane themeeting edges of the parts 3 and 5 will be forced so strongly intoengagement as to make an airtight joint between them and effectuallyprevent the escape of air.

It would be difficult, though not wholly impracticable, to provide apermanent valvetube or nipple in the tire, as such a valve device wouldrender the placing of the tire or the removal of the same diflicult. Itherefore prefer to use a separable nozzle or injector, which may beentered at any point along the seam orjoint between the two edges of thetire. The rim may be provided with one or more injector-receiving holes14, that may be closed by small plates or by the pieces 15 of rubber toprevent the lodgment of dirt therein. The nozzle or injector 16 has thethin fiat form shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The same is preferably madeof metal and is placed upon the end of the pump-tube or joint 17. It isprovided with a small duct 18, (indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,) and thisduct opens, preferably, at the sides of the end of the nozzle. Thenozzle is easily inserted between the snugly-pressed edges of the tireand as easily withdrawn therefrom. The crosssection of the nozzle issubstantially as indicated in Fig; 3, the edges being quite sharp, sothat the edges of the tire will press upon and close tightly around thesame. To further prevent the escape of air about the nozzle, I prefer tomake the outer end thereof larger than the inner end-thatis, thicker andwider than the other parts of the nozzle-so that the air-pressure willtend to wedge the nozzle between the parts of the tire rather than toexpel the same or to allow the air to leak out around the nozzle orinjector. I prefer that the groove for the rib 3 shall be deeper thanthe opposite groove in the rim, but this is not essential to myinvention.

The main advantages of my invention result from the employment of therigid toggle-joint parts 4and 5, adapted to be pressed or firmlyprojected to force the ribs into the rim-grooves and tightly close thejoint between the edges of the tire, the effective pressure of thetoggle being greater than that of the air within the tire.

As the invention admits of modifications I both in the tire and theinjector therefor, I do not confine the invention to the specificconstruction herein shown and described. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, in a single-tube tire, of a treadportion provided with the rib or bead on one edge and having a rib orbead and a two-part toggle portion upon its other edge,said toggleportion comprising connected and comparatively rigid straight parts, andthe wheel-rim provided with grooves for the beads of the tire and forthe toggle portion thereof, the free edge of the toggle portion beingengaged with the opposite edge portion of the tire, and the jointbetween said parts being closed by the action of said toggle portionunder pressure, substantially as described.

2. The bicycle-tire, comprising the tread portion 2, provided upon oneedge with the rib or bead 3 and upon the other edge with the rib or bead6 and the connected toggle portions 4 and 5, said portions 4 and 5 beingpartially separated by the groove or cut 8 in the under or outer side,substantially as de' scribed.

3. The combination,with the wheel-rim pro vided with the grooves 12 and13 and with one or-more holes 14, of the tire comprising the treadportion having on one edge a rib or bead 3 to enter said groove 12 inthe rim, and having upon the other edge a bead or rib 6 to enter theopposite groove in the rim, and the toggle portions 4 and 5 connected intheir upper or inner parts and partially separated by the groove or cut8, and the thin and flat injector or nozzle adapted to be inserted inthe hole 14 in the rim and between the abutting edges of the tire,substantially as described.

4. The tire, comprising the tread portion 2, the ribbed edge 3, theribbed edge 6, the toggle parts 4 and 5 separated by the V-groove Sinthe outer side, and the lining 9 of thin, soft rubber, substantially asdescribed.

ALBERT A. WADE.

Witnesses:

HENRY PENNINGTON, GEORGE DOEHNE, Jr.

